[ Reviewed by JuddHunter ]
Star Rancor is meant as a continuation
of a Quake2 map, Mel Soaring. Some areas
do have a slightly Quake2 feel, but I'll
say one thing for the design: it's unique.
The whole map is a blend between a military
base theme and a Xeno theme. It's actually
set inside a Xen temple. Most of the outdoor
architecture is pretty bland, without a
whole lot of innovation. While you're in
the temple, though, it gets cooler and more
attractive. It may turn some people away
from the maps, so if you expect good-looking
levels, you may not be thrilled in the beginning.
Just give it time.
There's some odd-looking colored lighting
throughout the map, and it goes from strange
to downright annoying at times. It makes
the whole map seem a bit surrealistic,…but
since that's the effect the author is trying
to create, it does a good job.
The gameplay is totally the opposite of
many sets out there. You don't face a single
human enemy (ala Darkstar), and the only
humans you’ll find are dead grunts
scattered around. There's a large number
of alien enemies, though, sometimes 8-10
in one area (the last part is a killer).
There's an abundance of alien slaves, it
seems, because you’ll face some around
every corner.
While the monsters are pretty varied, there
are a few little quirks which make it a
bit frustrating. Namely, the fact that monsters
teleport in without any notice. You constantly
have to check behind you to make sure nothing
warped in out of nowhere. There's also a
lack of puzzle-type play. Most of the set
is run-and-shoot stuff, which, while fun
for a while, starts getting old rather fast.
It feels a bit too linear, which sadly,
most sets feel like these days.
Despite the quirks, though, this set is
extremely original. The whole plot behind
it, especially with it being a sequel to
a Quake II series, is pretty interesting.
The Xen theme is something we really haven’t
seen much of in the HL scene, probably cause
many people didn’t like HL's Xen.
It has a lot of potential, though, and this
map taps into that.
In the end, the map plays in a very linear
way. At times it just seems a bit forced,
because there isn’t any side way to
get somewhere. Even so, it's a nice map
to look at, and the challenge, especially
later on, is good. I'm looking forward to
some more work from Shaun, it just needs
some polishing and refining.
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